


The Atlantis Mentalist

by FlyBoy



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-10
Updated: 2010-06-10
Packaged: 2017-10-10 01:30:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlyBoy/pseuds/FlyBoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Be careful what you think - someone may be listening in!</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Atlantis Mentalist

John Sheppard was no fan of staff meetings – actually, who was? Meetings were a necessary evil that took up entirely too much of his time. Holding staff meetings first thing on a Monday morning made them just that much harder to bear. At least a couple of cups of coffee following an early morning run with Ronon had started him off in a good mood.

Five minutes before the scheduled start time he swung by McKay's lab to remind him of the meeting, fully expecting that McKay would have become engrossed in something and complete forgot the scheduled meeting. Sure enough, he was not disappointed.

Upon entering the lab he found McKay reading and furiously typing something on his laptop computer. Not waiting to be recognized – he knew that if he did that he would be waiting a very long time – Sheppard simply said, "Yo! McKay! Staff meeting in five minutes. Come on!"

"Go away. Busy."

"Staff meeting, McKay. Come on, let's go!"

"Yeah, yeah. In a minute."

Sheppard decided to wait for McKay for approximately 60 seconds and then leave for the meeting. He leaned against the lab bench where McKay was typing and noticed another new Ancient-looking artifact that he hadn't seen before. "What's this?" he asked, picking up the small device.

He turned the device around, checking it out from all angles. Usually when he came near such devices they turned on and did something flashy. This one, however, exhibited none of the usual life signs. There were no lights, no light beams, no death rays, no twinkles, no vibrations, nothing. Sheppard felt a vague twitching in his finger tips but was surprised that otherwise the device seemed dead.

When the allotted 60 seconds were up, Sheppard returned the now-examined device to the lab bench and tried one last time to pull McKay away for the meeting. "Rodney! Come on, we're gonna be late."

"Yeah, yeah. In a minute."

"That's what you said a minute ago."

"Yeah, yeah. In a minute."

"I'm leaving. You're gonna be late."

"Yeah, yeah. In a minute."

"See you later, McKay," Sheppard said with a shake of his head as he made his way out of the lab and down to the meeting.

Entering the room he snagged one of the last few seats at the table. Elizabeth entered the room not more than 10 seconds after he was seated. She called the meeting to order and launched into the agenda. These meetings were always packed with issues and items for consideration. One of Elizabeth's many skills was that she ran a very tight meeting. She had a low tolerance for idle chatter and kept meetings focused and moving. She knew people had a lot to do and didn't want to keep them away from their work more than was necessary.

Nonetheless, Sheppard came prepared. He discretely pulled a Sudoku puzzle and pencil from his pocket and quietly worked on his puzzle during some of the more boring parts of the meeting. He looked up briefly when McKay entered the room – late, of course.

"Nice of you to join us, Rodney," Elizabeth greeted. "You're just in time to tell us about where things stand with your upgrade to the dialing computer. I've got teams that are ready to go off-world, so I hope you have good news for us."

Sheppard turned back to his puzzle while McKay prattled on endlessly about something largely irrelevant to Sheppard. After a few minutes he was wishing he had brought a second puzzle, the first one completed. He folded the puzzle, returning it to his pocket as discretely as he had originally removed it, and looked at Elizabeth, hoping that her patience was wearing thin by this point.

He was somewhat startled to look at her face and distinctly hear her say, "Oh, Rodney, please shut up!" Since he had been looking at her face when he heard the words he had noticed that her lips never moved. He stared more attentively at her, wondering what firestorm those words would ignite, only to find that no one said a word. It was almost as if no one had heard what she just said.

He looked at Lorne to see what his reaction was to the whole thing, only to hear Lorne distinctly say, "Hurry up, McKay. I've really gotta pee! Why didn't I stop in the head on the way here? I shouldn't have had that second cup of coffee this morning. Hurry, hurry, hurry."

Again, though, he had been looking right at Lorne and had never seen the man's lips move. This was getting downright freaky. Once maybe, but twice in 60 seconds – no way.

Sheppard was confused, to say the least. He looked from Lorne to the next person at the table, and then the next and the next and so on. Each time he found that when he looked at the person he could clearly hear their thoughts! But the words he was hearing were definitely of a very personal nature and were largely things none of them would ever say out loud in a meeting.

Most of what he heard were various degrees of impatience with McKay – a couple went so far as to contemplate specific methods of torture as payback. The last person his eyes landed on, however, broke this pattern. She – and he really couldn't remember her name – was staring at McKay with rapt attention. He heard her say, "My God, he's hot!" which troubled him on an entirely new level.

Sheppard shook his head, rubbed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, anything he could think of to clear up whatever was causing this mini-stroke he seemed to be experiencing. As his eyes returned to a couple of people each time he clearly heard them think something that was definitely not meant for public consumption. Finally, almost totally freaked out by this new turn of events, he dropped his eyes and studied the laces on his boot – anything to keep from looking at another person and picking up their private thoughts.

Fortunately, though, the meeting wrapped up a few minutes later. Everyone quickly got up and exited the room, Lorne, he assumed to pee. The rest were off to their own urgent business. But Sheppard remained for a moment, sitting alone at the table with his eyes closed quietly questioning his sanity.

When he finally rose from the table, he headed down the hallway toward his office, passing several people on the way. When his eyes caught the first person, a young Marine, he heard the guy thinking, "I hope he doesn't see my boot lace is broken. Keep walking, keep walking."

The next was thinking about how he was going to get out of a training exercise that afternoon so he could go explore a new part of the city. The next one, another young Marine, looked at Sheppard, smiled, and thought, "Hello there, Colonel gorgeous! Want to come up to my place sometime so I can make your eyes roll back in your head? I'll take you places you've never been before." Sheppard was astonished by this, his eyes wide in shock.

He stopped and stared at the young Marine. When the Marine saw Sheppard's eyes wide with a look of astonishment on his face, the man said, "Sir? May I help you with something?"

"No, sorry. I was just thinking."

"No problem, sir."

Sheppard watched the man walk away and distinctly heard him think, "I just want to run my fingers through that wonderful hair, lick those elfin ears, and then kiss those gorgeous, pouty lips."

Before he could stop himself, Sheppard said, "My lips are not 'pouty'!"

The Marine froze, turned around, and said, "Sir? Did you say something?"

Shaking his head, Sheppard answered, "No. Sorry. Just thinking aloud. Have a good morning."

"Oh, you could make it a good morning, baby."

Turning, Sheppard walked away quickly, trying not to look up or make eye contact with anyone. He forgot at one point and noticed a young woman walking toward him in the hallways. As he looked at her he heard, "I wonder why he hasn't responded to my e-mail yet? I hope he doesn't think the proposal is stupid! Oh, no, that's it – I'm gonna be sent back to Earth in disgrace as an utter incompetent. Damn. Damn. Damn."

Reaching his office, Sheppard closed the door and stood with his back to the wall, his eyes closed, breathing deeply to avoid passing out. In the galaxy of freaky things, this one was the new winner of the prize for freakiest.

Once he was back under control he immediately moved to his desk, read through his e-mail until he found the proposal he had "heard" about moments earlier. He quickly read through the message and found that it was a good idea. He composed a supportive, encouraging response which he sent immediately.

He really had no idea that someone's very identity and self-worth was in his hands in such a manner. It made him feel cold and cruel for not realizing that. He suddenly realized that his avoidance of email and regular work flows was damaging to the morale of the base, not to mention of individuals. He scolded himself for not realizing this sooner and for selfishly putting people through unnecessary agony. He hurried through all of the accumulated e-mails in his inbox, picturing each person sitting waiting while Sheppard diddled and ignored them. Never before in the history of the expedition had Sheppard ever paid such thorough attention to his email queue. Several people were stunned to get not just one, but sometimes two or three messages from Sheppard in the same day.

With his nose to the email grindstone, the morning passed remarkably quickly. Before he realized it, Lorne was standing before him saying, "Interested in lunch, Colonel?" He looked at his watch and wondered where the morning had gone.

His newfound abilities momentarily forgotten, Sheppard looked up at Lorne with a smile and suddenly heard, "Oh yeah, baby, lick those lips. That's it. Work it baby."

Eyes widening in shock, he blurted out, "What is it about my lips that everyone finds so fascinating?"

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Why do people keep looking at my lips? Do I have a cold sore or something?"

"No, sir. Why do you ask?"

"Never mind. Let's go get some food."

Lunch proved to be a newfound hell. While Lorne talked, Sheppard looked tentatively around the room, picking up thoughts that ran the gamut from inane to ridiculous. After a few minutes of embarrassment at some of the things he was hearing, Sheppard dropped his eyes to his food and tried to nod his head at all the appropriate places while Lorne talked. As it turned out, Lorne and Sheppard had not had lunch together for quite awhile so Lorne had a back-log of gossip to share.

Periodically, Sheppard quickly glanced up at Lorne as he talked. He was relieved to find that looking at someone while they talked was safe. Something about the human brain prevented multiple thought processes from running simultaneously. Sheppard breathed a quiet sigh of relief at this one bit of discovery.

He kept Lorne talking by paying full attention to the man, encouraging him with occasional "Uh huh," and "Go on." Lorne played his role perfectly. When Lorne stopped talking or asked a question, Sheppard always dropped his eyes to his food as he answered each question. Lorne didn't seem to notice anything unusual which was a relief for Sheppard.

Emboldened by his newest discovery, Sheppard decided to look around the room, focusing on the people who were talking. He was pleased to not pick up anything from them while they spoke. The others around the room, however, were another story entirely.

A few of the thoughts he picked up made him blush – he didn't know women knew or thought about such things! He again wondered if everyone on the base was perpetually horny. Once he got himself under control he really would have to talk with Elizabeth about how they could provide some outlet for all of the pent up sexual energy.

One thought shocked him to his core. Lorne noticed that something was up and asked was wrong. Sheppard ignored him, stood, and walked in the direction of the worrisome thought. Finding the person, he ordered them to accompany him.

They walk immediately to Elizabeth's office. When they enter she looked up in surprise. "Colonel. Can I help you?"

"Roberts, tell Dr. Weir about your mission from the IOA."

The man was shocked and didn't know what to say. Struggling to construct a coherent explanation, he stuttered out, "What mission?"

Sheppard knew that the man was a deep undercover IOA mole who had been sent to infiltrate the Atlantis central computer, to ensure that the IOA could take control in the event of anything unexpected happening with the city leadership.

"Don't play dumb with me. Come on, be a man. You've been found out. Just spit it out. Tell Dr. Weir about your late night computer work."

"Sir?"

"Enough! Talk now or I'll make you talk!"

"Please ma'am, don't let him hurt me! I was only following orders!"

Elizabeth called security and had the man locked up until she could interrogate him further to find out what this was all about. Once the man was escorted away, Elizabeth turned her focus on Sheppard and asked him, "John, what just happened?"

Sheppard had dove into the situation instinctively and so quickly that he had not stopped to consider the potential consequences from his actions. Not seeing another alternative, John explained, "Well, you see, it's like this … I've somehow sort of acquired the ability to hear people's thoughts."

Elizabeth simply stared at Sheppard for a few moments before asking, "Care to explain how you've suddenly become psychic?"

"I'm not entirely sure. And I've got to say, of all the things I can do in this city, this is one I would to give back! Being able to hear what someone is thinking is scary."

Touching her earpiece, she said, "Weir to Beckett. Dr. Beckett, can you come to my office immediately?"

"Why do we need Beckett?"

"We need to see if he can identify any changes in your brain that could explain this sudden new ability. I need to know how it happened, what it's doing to you, are there any long-term detrimental effects, is this going to happen to others – things like that."

"Oh, I didn't think about that."

Dr. Beckett arrived at that moment. "Elizabeth, I came as quickly as I could. What is the emergency?"

Crossing her arms, Elizabeth explained the situation. "It seems that Colonel Sheppard has a new ability. I need to know what physical manifestations accompany his newest ability."

"Ok. What is this new ability?"

"He can hear people's thoughts."

"What?"

"Carson, I look at someone and I can hear what they're thinking. And it scares the hell out of me. People around this base have some weird thoughts running through their heads. An unhealthy number of people seem to be fixated on my lips, for example, and seem to spend entirely too much time thinking about sex."

"I see. And can you read my mind at the moment, Colonel?"

"You're thinking that I'm full of it – and the color green. I don't quite see how those two go together, but that's what I'm hearing." He paused and looked at Carson, "Carson, I didn't know you knew such words."

Beckett's face blanched in shock. "Damn. It's true."

"Told you," Sheppard responded.

"I should have known. We live in a place where the city does your bidding and you fly airplanes with your mind – why not mind reading?"

"The problem is that I can't tell how I've suddenly acquired this ability. It happened earlier today."

"And I need to know what physical manifestations you can find that might explain this, this new skill."

"Of course. Colonel, let's get you to the Infirmary and get you into my scanner."

"Ok. Not exactly how I planned to spend my day."

"Let's go."

"Carson, let me know what you find," Elizabeth ordered.

"You'll be the first to hear."

Beckett and Sheppard left Weir's office and made their way to the Infirmary. Beckett had Sheppard lay on the exam table so that the Ancient device could work its magic and examine his brain in detail.

Moments later the scan was complete and Carson was standing over his laptop studying the images.

 

Touching his earpiece, "Dr. Beckett to Dr. Weir. Dr. Weir, I have the results of the scans you requested."

"I'm on my way."

A few moments later she entered the Infirmary and joined Beckett at his laptop.

"His brain scans show increased activity in several areas of his brain. Most notably here and here," he explained while pointing to two areas on the laptop screen.

"Is this harmful?"

"I can't say. At the moment I can't see how it would be harmful. Basically, the only thing that has happened is that there is a part of his brain that has gone into overdrive. I can't see any physical change other than extremely enhanced activity in existing structures."

"So, doc, then I'm going to live?"

"Yes, Colonel, you're going to live. And probably tomorrow acquire some new freakish ability like the ability to levitate or something."

"I certainly hope not."

Weir asked one additional question: "Should he remain here for further monitoring?"

Both Carson and Sheppard answered simultaneously, "No," Sheppard slightly more emphatic than Beckett.

"All right, then. I'm calling an emergency senior staff meeting to share this news with everyone. I'll obviously need both of you there. Let's say in five minutes."

Beckett and Sheppard nodded in agreement before Weir walked away, activating her radio as she walked.

"How do you keep getting yourself into these things, Colonel?"

"I wish I knew, Carson. I wish I knew."

"Come on, we better get to the meeting since you are the star attraction."

"Please, don't remind me!"

Together they walked the short distance to the conference room off the Control Room where senior staff were quickly gathering. Everyone looked questioningly at Elizabeth, quietly wondering what fresh hell awaited them now.

When everyone was assembled, Weir started the meeting with an explanation. "Thank you all for gathering so quickly. We have news. Let me preface the news by saying that there is good news and maybe not so good news. And no, Rodney, you don't get to pick which I give first."

"It seems that Colonel Sheppard had somehow acquired the ability to read people's thoughts." She paused to let that news sink in, looking from face to face around the table. Sheppard's head was down, not looking at anyone.

McKay was the first to comment, "What the hell have you done now?"

"I don't know how it happened, Rodney – it just did. And trust me, this is no picnic. You all have got some pretty twisted thoughts running through your heads."

"You've been looking into our minds?" Rodney complained.

"Not intentionally."

"Sheppard, look at me and tell me you haven't been invading people's privacy so blatantly!"

"I can't – I hear the thoughts of a person when I look at them."

Ronon commented simply, "I don't believe it."

Sheppard looked directly at Ronon for a moment. "You're thinking of a knife you had as a youngster on Sateda. Your grandfather gave it to you for your eighth birthday. You lost it somewhere and never knew where."

Usually a man of few words, Ronon, true to fashion, said simply, "Damn!"

"And Lorne, this morning during the staff meeting you were thinking that you really needed to pee while McKay was droning on about something."  
While Lorne slid down in his chair in embarrassment, McKay objected to Sheppard's words. "Hey, I don't drone – I explain things for you Neanderthals. It takes a lot to translate my thought processes down to your level."

"You drone, Rodney," Sheppard answered, to which everyone nodded their heads in agreement. "And sit up, Lorne. Everybody has to pee."

"I do not drone. But that aside, I need proof. Go ahead, Sheppard, work your magic. Let's prove once and for all that this is total BS." McKay smiled as he sat back and folded his arms across his chest.

Sheppard looked at him and smiled. "Rodney, I had no idea that you were a fan of Rocky Horror! I love it." Proving that he could not sing, Sheppard attempted to sing, "Time warp. Doing the time warp. Let's do the time warp again! Let's do the time warp again. It's just a step to the left …"

"Enough! Please, don't make us listen to you singing anymore. Lucky guess."

"Not a guess, McKay. And who is Wanda and why are you thinking such things about her?"

McKay blushed deeply before sputtering something unintelligible.

Elizabeth took over once again. "I think we can all agree that Colonel Sheppard can do what he says he can do. He's proven it over and over and over again. In fact, earlier today this new ability of his apprehended an IOA mole who was preparing to sabotage the Atlantis computer system."

Several people simultaneously shouted, "What?"

Putting her hands up and motioning for everyone to quiet down, Elizabeth explained. "I learned of Colonel Sheppard's ability when he placed the mole under arrest and brought him to my office. We are incredibly fortunate that his plan was discovered before he was able to do any harm. If his plan had been completed, the results could have been catastrophic."

While most people considered this news quietly, Ronon cut to the chase. "We need to use this to find more trouble before it finds us."

"Surprisingly, I tend to agree," Elizabeth answered. "There have been numerous times over my career when I've been negotiating something and dearly wished I could know what was going on behind the perfect poker face of my opponent. This could be of immeasurable benefit to us. Even though I am bothered by the invasion of privacy involved."

"If someone is contemplating harming us or the city, I do not care about their privacy," Teyla explained. "If we can stop them before they act, I see absolutely no problem."

"John, do you agree?" Elizabeth asked.

"I think so," he answered. "Remember, I've only had a little longer than you to get used to this whole concept. While it bothers me to invade people's minds without their knowledge, I can see where it could be of incredible use to us."

Lorne commented on something no one else had thought of to that point. "I'm never playing poker with you again, sir."

Everyone rushed to agree, which lightened the mood in the room a tiny bit.

"Ok. How do we test this or use it for the first time?" Elizabeth asked.

Teyla answered first. "We've been planning to go to P3X-129 sometime soon to try to acquire some food. Their crops have been strong this year, but they are notoriously difficult negotiators. I suggest that as a possibility."

Heads nodded around the table.

"Hearing no objections, we have a plan. Colonel, I want Lorne and his men to take the lead on this one. You and your team will accompany them but you will let him take the lead while you work whatever we're calling this ability. If you pick up anything that could be helpful, be sure to share it with Lorne and Teyla so that they may negotiate with the strongest hand possible."

"Agreed." Looking at Lorne, Sheppard asked, "What'ca doing this afternoon, Major?"

"Going to P3X-129, sir."

"Good man!"

Looking around the room, Sheppard asked, "An hour ok?"

No one objected. "Let's gear up and be ready to leave at 1400 hours."

"Meeting adjourned. I look forward to your report, Colonel."

"Me, too."

McKay exclaimed, "This is going to be so much fun!"

John, however, was less enthusiastic. "I wish I agreed," he said to a rapidly emptying room.

An hour later Lorne and his three teammates joined Sheppard, Teyla, Ronon, and McKay in the Gate Room. All eight were geared up and as ready as possible for whatever they encountered on their mission. As the leader of the mission, Lorne gave everyone their final orders, quickly recapping the plan.

When he was satisfied, he nodded to Elizabeth who gave the word to Chuck. "Dial it up." The gate spun into action, connecting with their destination. "Major Lorne, you have a go. Good luck."

"Thank you, Dr. Weir. Ok, let's move out." Lorne stepped through the gate followed quickly by Teyla, the three others of his team, and then by McKay, Sheppard, and Ronon. When their transit was complete the gate automatically shut down until needed again.

On the other side the travelers were greeted by bright sunlight and pleasant temperatures. "Ok, Teyla, lead on."

"Very well, Major. Follow me."

The eight Lanteans set off at a reasonable but brisk pace, taking them through pastures and forests. After about an hour of hiking – an hour in which McKay was remarkably quiet – they arrived at a small settlement. Upon entering the central square of the small community they were greeted by a man who walked toward them. When Teyla saw who had turned out to greet them she smiled. "Boyten, it has been many years. How have you been?"

"Teyla! Welcome. We are well enough. Who are your friends? I don't recognize any of these people, nor their style of dress."

"Boyten, I'd like to introduce you to the people who took us in when the Wraith culled our world." One by one she introduced each member of the team, each acknowledging the introduction in turn.  
"Yes, I have heard stories about the return of the Ancients and the resurrection of a magnificent city of the Ancestors. That plus tales of them taking in the Athosian people. Of course, those same stories talk about the Ancestors flying through the air as well, so you know how much faith I put in such stories." Together they shared a laugh.

"True. Over the years I've learned that stories grow in ridiculousness after many tellings."

"Any friend of Teyla's is welcome here. What brings you back to us after so long, Teyla? Where are my manners, come, join us for some tea." He led them to a nearby cook fire and ordered that tea be prepared for the visitors.

"Please, sit, be as comfortable as possible. I'm afraid ours is a simple life with no luxuries. But we make do."

"Thank you for your hospitality, Boyten. We do not seek luxury, only to make a fair trade."

"Of course, Teyla. What do you need that we could possibly provide?"

"You know very well Boyten that this world is well-known for the abundance of your crops – not to mention the deliciousness of those crops."

"You flatter us, Teyla."

As Teyla talked with the local equivalent a leader, Sheppard hung in the back and studied the man carefully. As anticipated, he was able to hear the man's thoughts as plainly as if he had spoken the words aloud. And what he was hearing was not giving him a warm fuzzy feeling. After just a few moments he moved forward and in his firm command voice interrupted the meeting by stating, "That's it. We're out of here. Now! Let's move it."

All members of the team sprang into action instantly at Sheppard's order. Teyla was confused but trusted Sheppard and his decision. She knew that when he was able that he would tell her what had transpired. But that time was not now.

Sheppard set a brisk pace back to the gate, constantly pushing his people to move as fast as possible. "Come on people, move it. We don't have time to spare. We need to get out of here as fast as possible. Come on!"

The brisk pace turned into a run as the gate came into view about a half mile in the distance. Sheppard was relieved to see that the gate was not active. Still, his eyes surveyed the surroundings to look for signs of danger. Sensing Sheppard's unease, Ronon did likewise. Fortunately, though, neither man saw any cause for alarm.

Breathing hard when they reached the gate, Sheppard ordered one of Lorne's men to dial home immediately. Once connected he sent his IDC through. As soon as the all clear signal was received they all ran through the gate, with Lorne and Sheppard brining up the rear.

Safely back in the Atlantis gate room, all panting for breath, including Sheppard, no one spoke for a moment. Seconds after their arrival, Elizabeth came running. "I take it things didn't work so well."

"Oh, on the contrary," John panted out. "They worked out quite well. Had I not been able to read minds, we would all be guests of the Genii at the moment."

"What?" Teyla demanded.

"Your old friend was trying to string us along as much as possible. The instant we arrived he sent a runner to the gate to call the Genii. It seems there is a bounty out on our heads – actually, the heads of anyone from Atlantis. The Genii have blanketed several worlds with word that they are to be summoned instantly upon spotting anyone matching our description. They promised rich rewards to anyone who helped with our capture."

McKay visibly blanched. "Oh, I so hate the Genii."

"Well, I for one, am grateful for your newfound ability, Colonel. Personally, I'm not anxious for a repeat visit as a guest of the Genii."

"I don't blame you, Major. They are not very nice hosts."

"I look forward to receiving your reports. Debrief in one hour."

After checking in their weapons, everyone dispersed to different locations. Sheppard headed to his quarters to change boots. With all of the recent off-world activity, he had momentarily forgotten about his ability to read minds. As he walked down the hallway he inevitably encountered a Marine. Looking at the passing man, Sheppard nodded his head in greeting. Almost immediately his mind was overwhelmed with, "God, that man is hot! I love his hair. I wish I had hair that would stand up like that."

Quickly looking around and seeing that no one else was in sight, Sheppard turned, grabbed the Marine, pushed him up against the wall, and laid a mind-numbing kiss on the man. The man was too stunned to say anything when the kiss ended and Sheppard released him. Sheppard stepped back, nodded his head, and resumed his walk toward his quarters.

The Marine stood immobilized. While he had admired the man's good looks, he had carefully never given any hint of his feelings. He didn't know what brought about Sheppard's action. Could it be that the man felt the same way he did? Obviously since the two had just had an incredible lip lock. But what should he do now? Pursue the Colonel? Pretend that nothing happened? Wait for the Colonel to make another move?

Leaving one dazed young Marine in his wake, Sheppard made his way back to his quarters, feeling almost as if he had somehow taken the upper hand over his mind-reading ability. Still, Sheppard was a bit – no, a lot – hesitant about going back out amongst so many apparently horny people.

He was saved by the bell, literally, when his door chime sounded. He opened the door, half expecting his Marine from earlier to be waiting for round two. He was pleased, however, to find a somewhat hesitant Major Lorne, who tentatively held up a tray of food and gave the Colonel a questioning look.

"Colonel, I knew you were a little bothered by being able to hear what everyone was thinking, so I thought you might like to have something to eat here rather than in the Mess Hall.

"Major, you are a genius," he greeted the man with a huge smile on his face. "You would not believe some of the things people are thinking out there! It makes me blush just to think about them."

As Lorne entered the room to put the tray down on the Colonel's desk, he was surprised to hear his commanding officer suddenly change the subject and ask, "Lorne, are my lips weird? I know I've got weird ears, but are my lips weird, too?"

"No, sir. Why do you ask?"

"All day long I've been hearing people think that my lips were attractive. Several used the word 'pouty'. Now tell me, have you ever heard of such a stupid thing?"

Lorne hesitated to answer, licking his own lips and wondering how he is going to get out of this bind since he is one of the people who found the Colonel's lips pouty. When Lorne hesitated, Sheppard looked at him and said, "See! You, too! Now tell me, what is it about my lips?"

Blushing terribly, Lorne decided to take the bull by the horns and confront the issue – after all, there were no secrets from the man any longer now that he had the ability to read thoughts. "Well, sir, it's not just your lips. Just about all of you is attractive. Pouty, masculine, attractive, sensual – all are words that come to mind when I look at different parts of your body.

"Now, you see, I don't get that. I wouldn't use any of those words to describe myself. About the only thing about my body that I kind of like is my hair. I think my hair looks good. But the rest of me, no way."

"You're kidding me, right?" Lorne asked.

"What?"

"You must know how hot you are, because let me tell you, you are!"

"I don't see it. I think I've got scrawny legs, my body is too thin, I've got no significant muscles in my chest, I look kind of plain and basic, …"

"All right, stop right there. I don't see you that way at all. And from what you were telling me a few minutes ago, there are a lot of people out there who agree with me and not you on this subject. Trust me, Colonel, you are an attractive, desirable man."

Sheppard looked skeptically at Lorne but didn't argue with him further.

"Colonel, many people see themselves as plain, basic, undesirable, when really they are the exact opposite. You project confidence and an air of casualness that put people at ease. The whole package – body and personality – are both incredibly attractive. Of all the people I've known, I didn't expect you to have body image issues."

"I don't think I have 'body issues' as you say. I just don't think I'm anything special. I just don't get why everyone seems so attracted to me." He paused for a moment, dropped his eyes to the floor, and then looked up at Lorne once again before continuing, "Thanks … for, you know, finding me attractive. It's very flattering. Thanks."

"You're welcome. And you are – attractive, that is. Hot, actually."

"Hey, slow down. One step at a time. I'm still working on this whole 'attractive' thing."

Lorne chuckled. "Well, work on that some other time. Right now, sit down and let's reconstruct your every move today and see if we can find how you suddenly got the power to read minds."

The two sat at Sheppard's desk, one on each side, both leaning on their elbows on the desk. "Where do we even start?" Sheppard asked.

"Simple. We start at the beginning. Were you able to read minds when you woke up this morning?"

"I don't think so. No, definitely not."

"Ok. Describe your morning, and no detail is too small. When did you wake up?"

"0530, like usual."

"Ok. What did you do when you woke up?"

"What did I do? I went pee. What do you think I did?"

"Hey! No attitude. If we're going to solve this mystery we need to deconstruct your day. So, what did you do?"

"I woke up at 0530, went to the bathroom to pee, came back to bed for a few minutes, and then took a shower."

"Wait, why did you go back to bed?"

"It's personal!"

"Colonel! If we're going to solve this, we need to go over everything. Now why did you go back to bed?"

Sheppard looked down and actually blushed before providing Lorne with the explanation. "I start most mornings with a quick, um, tension release."

Suddenly understanding, Lorne nodded. "Ok. Got it. Did you do anything different, or was it like most other mornings?"

"Absolutely like usual. Nothing wrong, but nothing especially memorable either."

"Ok, so how long did that take you?"

"Lorne! I really don't see how discussing my jerk-off habits is going to solve my problem!"

"Just tell me!"

"About ten minutes. Ok? Satisfied?"

"Next?"

"I showered, got dressed, and went to breakfast."

"Did you meet anybody along the way?"

"Yeah, I did. There were quite a few people up and about already."

"Could you read their minds?"

"No, definitely not. I had several quick conversations and didn't get any thoughts from anybody."

"Ok. Good. So, when did you leave and what did you do next?"

Sheppard had to stop and think for a minute. "I went to my office and read my e-mail. I signed a couple of forms, read one report, and then headed off to the senior staff meeting."

"Anything unusual up to that point?"

"No. Absolutely nothing. Perfectly dull and predictable."

"Did you go directly from your office to the conference room."

"Yes. No. Actually I didn't. I stopped at McKay's lab to remind him and see if he was ready to go to the meeting."

"McKay got to the meeting late. And you were there before the meeting started. Wasn't he in his lab?"

"Yeah, he was there. He was working on something so I left."

"Did you talk with him?"

"Nothing big. He was busy with something and told me to go away. So I did."

"Did you stay for a minute or two or just leave?"

"I stayed for a couple of minutes trying to get him to the meeting on time. I leaned on his counter for a minute or two and then left."

"You just leaned there? You didn't talk with him?"

"No, I tried talking with him." A smile suddenly appeared on Sheppard's face as he said, "I touched something!"

"What?"

"There was this thing – a device of some sort – sitting on the lab bench. I picked it up, turned it around to see what it was. It wasn't obvious. I did my usual thing of thinking "On!" but nothing happened. No lights, no flashing. Nothing. No! Wait! I remember now that my finger tips tingled a little bit!"

"Great! What did you do with the device?"

"I put it back down, reminded McKay again of the meeting, and then left and went directly to the conference room. That's where I first noticed my new ability."

"Then that device could well be the culprit. Let's go see if it's still there and check it out."

"Right behind you!"

The two men dashed off to McKay's lab, looking like a combination of professional soldiers and adolescents at the same time. As they rounded the corner toward the hallway that contained the labs they entered an unspoken race down the corridor. Lorne slid to a stop about a foot beyond the door which allowed Sheppard the edge he needed to claim victory.

Pumping his fists into the air he shouted, "I win!"

A tiny bit annoyed with his loss, he said, "Yeah, yeah. You win. Now focus – is the device here?"

Sheppard eyed the lab bench, not seeing the device where he remembered it resided earlier. His eyes started methodically surveying the rest of the lab looking for the device.

"Ah ha!" he exclaimed when his eyes landed on the device. By instinct his arm reached out to pick up the device.

Lorne grabbed his arm and ordered, "No! Don't you remember the trouble you got into by touching the thing in the first place?"

A look of annoyance crossed Sheppard's face, quickly replaced by a look of understanding. "True, but it seems like the damage is already done. Logic would say that touching it again might turn off this new-found ability of mine."

"The operative word in that sentence is 'might'."

"Yeah, I was hoping you wouldn't notice that."

The two men looked at one another for a moment, holding the other's eyes while they quietly contemplated how to proceed. Without a word being spoken, they nodded and Sheppard said, "Right. I pick it up."

"Ok. Just be careful."

"Aren't I always?"

"No. Never!"

"Can we discuss this later, please?"

Sheppard again moved his hand toward the device. Lorne added a reasonable caution. "Clear your mind. Try to not think about the device. Then focus on it and order 'off'."

"Right."

Sheppard picked up the small device, following Lorne's recommendation. A moment later he set the device down and turned to face Lorne. "Ok. Think something."

Looking at the major he intently studied him for a moment. A look of consternation appeared on his face as he said, "Again with the ears?"

"What!? I'm not thinking about your ears!" Lorne suddenly realized that this meant that Colonel wasn't reading his mind. "You don't know what I'm thinking, do you?"

Sheppard smiled one of the biggest smiles Lorne had ever seen on the man's face. "All quiet on the mind reading front! Blessedly quiet. Gloriously quiet."

"Fantastic! Now what do we do to keep this from happening to someone else?"

Sheppard nodded, looking around the lab. He spotted exactly what he needed when he found a biohazard materials container. Lorne set the container on the floor while Sheppard used a pair of metal tongs to pick up the device. He carefully moved the device into the box, setting it into foam packing material to hold the device in place. While Sheppard put the tongs back on the counter, Lorne shut the box and clamped the lid shut.

"Now, where do we put this thing?" Lorne asked.

Thinking for a moment, Sheppard said, "There's a storage closet that no one is using just off the Control Room. Let's put it in there until we can talk about it in the next staff meeting. I can have the city lock the room so that no one can get into it, regardless of the strength of their gene."

"Sounds like a plan." Sheppard picked up the handle on one side of the box while Sheppard grabbed the other. They stored the box, drawing a few raised eyes from personnel on duty in the Control Room.

"Ready for a beer now?" Lorne asked.

"I think I've earned at least one today."

"Be a good boy and I'll give you two."

The adolescents in the two men took charge once again as they raced off down the corridor to Sheppard's quarters. Lorne wasn't in the mood to lose again.


End file.
